EULESS - Extreme heat poses more than health concerns. North Texas pools are cracking under the pressure of triple-digit temperatures.
Below the surface, your pool may be just fine. It's along the edges where Texas weather is taking its toll.
William Marques has maintained pools for a decade. He calls it a one-two punch from extreme weather changes and blames the February freeze for problems on the surface.
"In the winter, you have a bit of water that cannot evaporate and stays there," he said. "And, when it turns to ice, it loosens tiles and coping. Then comes the summer with the expansion of all materials. The cracks show up and you have what we can see now."
Marques said when concrete decks heat up, they expand and push coping toward the water. That usually happens in older pools that don't have mastic barriers that allow for expansion and prevent water from seeping below the surface.
At one house in Euless, there were four sections of tiles that fell into the pool. One stretch was 10-feet long. The homeowner could be out $500 to $800 to replace the tiles, repair the broken pieces of coping and install an absorbent barrier to stop the deck from crumbling when it bakes and expands under the heat of the sun.
Another house was undergoing a $180,000 remodel to stop the breakage from happening again.
Pool repair companies say tiles and decks are cracking across North Texas. One contractor told News 8 he has a waiting list of 80 customers. Others are booked for weeks and still giving a dozen estimates a day.
Marques said there are steps pool owners can take to protect their backyard escapes. First, looks for gaps between the coping and tiles. If water gets in, it can cause serious damage. Also, look for small breaks in the tile grout.
Cracks and gaps don't happen overnight, but with a watchful eye, homeowners can save their pools before they fall apart and they have to wait weeks for expensive repairs.
